Judith does that really surprise you , when you take in to account that other nonsense taking place in the country ?
It does make me wonder who did the cost analysis for the tender and how they could have got it so drastically wrong. The person who signed off the budget has a lot to answer for if they did not get up front written quotes, from more than one company. That's how it should be done.
It sounds like the Council will have to foot a large part of the shortfall, which in turn means us council tax payers, or more cuts in already meagre services to find the money.
I don't for one second begrudge people living in the area where the games are to be held having new & renovated properties to be able to rent once the athletes have gone, but there should be a way of the council's bad accounting not causing more hardship for the people who pay their taxes to them.